Bastos fires Lyon top in France

AFP - 12 September 2009 21:15

Lyon´s midfielder Bastos (L) challenges Lorient´s Jeremy Morel during their French L1 football match at the Stade Gerland in Lyon, southern France.

PARIS (AFP) - Brazilian winger Michel Bastos sent Lyon top of the French first division with a 1-0 victory at home to Lorient on Saturday, while Marseille secured a 2-1 win at Le Mans to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

Seven-time champions Lyon laboured for long periods against an obdurate Lorient side until the 72nd minute when Bastos, a close-season signing from Lille, leapt to meet Sidney Govou's inswinging cross with a firm header that flew past Fabien Audard in the visitors' goal.

The victory, Lyon's sixth consecutive win in all competitions, sends Claude Puel's side top of the table, while Marseille move into third place.

Champions Bordeaux, level on points with Lyon at the start of the day, host bottom side Grenoble in Saturday's late game.

Marseille were able to hand a debut to 18 -million-euro record signing Lucho Gonzalez, after the Argentine international missed their first four league games after breaking his collarbone in pre-season.

It was a familiar face that opened the scoring, though, with Brandao chesting down Souleymane Diawara's long ball for club captain Mamadou Niang to fire the visitors into a 14th-minute lead.

Malian striker Modibo Maiga drew the hosts level with an athletic volley in the 61st minute but Didier Deschamps's men responded immediately and re-asserted their advantage via an emphatic header from Brandao.

"The result and the victory are the most important things," said Deschamps.

"It's what we came for so it's very satisfying. Le Mans came back but the team reacted well straight away to re-take the lead, which is a very good thing. We need to get better at managing certain situations though."

Montpellier's superb start to life back in the top division continued as they won 1-0 at home to fellow newboys Lens, sending them to the heady heights of second in the table.

The visitors pipped Montpellier to the second division title last season, but it was Rene Girard's side who took all three points - and maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign - thanks to Alberto Costa's 39th-minute penalty.

In the day's other games, veteran Daniel Moreira struck an 83rd-minute equaliser to earn Boulogne-sur-Mer a 1-1 draw at Valenciennes, while Nancy were held to a 0-0 draw at home to Toulouse and had midfielder Andre Luiz sent off late on.

Lille, who finished fifth last season to qualify for the Europa League, picked up their first victory of the new campaign with a 1-0 win over Sochaux.